


assorted Firefly drabbles

by be_themoon



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen, river teaches jayne to read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-11
Updated: 2010-03-11
Packaged: 2017-10-07 21:50:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/be_themoon/pseuds/be_themoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which, among other things, River teaches Jayne how to read.</p>
            </blockquote>





	assorted Firefly drabbles

**Truth**

"There are reports of people going missing on the far reaches of space," Simon says, reading the news from the computer, and River stirs restlessly in her chair.

"Second Law of Thermodynamics," she says irritably, still sulking from the incident at breakfast. "Remove the Reavers, something else has to take their place to keep the level of entropy stable."

"Oh," Simon says. After a moment he ventures, "River, I don't think it's meant that literally."

"To be true, something must be applicable to everything," River insists, and Simon sighs and shoots a look at Kaylee, who's smiling over her lunch.

**Family**

"Do you have any family?" Mal blurts out, and regrets it the next second as Inara stares at him over her tea. "It's just, I never thought to ask you. And you never really talk," he continues, perfectly aware that he is now digging himself a hole so deep no one will ever be able to find him again.

Probably not even Zoe.

Inara stares a little longer, and then she smiles a bit, her face softening.

"No," she says. "No one left. Just me. Thank you for asking." He smiles, still feeling uneasy, and takes another sip of tea.

**Falling**

"Look," River says. "Look, they're falling into the dark between the moons." Mal's the only one listening, the rest of the crew long since used to her phases. They still come and go, less severe than before but always present.

"Who?" Mal says. "Who's falling?"

"The shadows," River says, and tilts her head. "They've fallen into the dark and they can't get out. They can never get out."

"Where have they fallen, River?" Simon says, and even Mal can tell he's just humoring his sister, more concerned with watching Kaylee's face glowing as they watch the double moonrise.

"Chaos."

**Job**

"Okay, we've got ourselves a job," Mal says. "River, try not to get distracted by random blue whistles this time, all right? We need you. Zoe, you've got ship-cover."

"It's because I'm pregnant, isn't it?" Zoe snaps, and Mal glares at her

"Yes, yes it is. Jayne, you can barely carry that thing. You'll trip over your own feet, get a smaller gun, all right? I'm letting you have your grenades, so just listen to me."

"Stay safe, River," Simon says, and she bounces up and down.

"I always do!" she says, and Mal rolls his eyes and heads out.

**Sand**

"I can kill you with my brain," River says, sounding much too pleased with herself, and Mal taps her on the shoulder.

"Stop terrorizing the civilians and get to work, all right?" he says, and she pouts before heading over to the security system.

"Mal, over here!" Jayne says, and Mal heads over at a trot.

"What the hell?" he says under his breath. "River! Tell me you're getting through that computer."

"Any second now," she says, looking almost professional as she concentrates.

"All right! Anyone want to tell me why there is black sand in this box?" Mal yells.

**Albatross**

"Hey albatross!" Mal says with a grin, sliding into his seat. "You're looking thoughtful again." He checks the screens and River straightens up proudly as he settles back without having found a flaw. "You should get some dinner," he says, but she shakes her head seriously.

"I'm watching the darkness," she says. "So that the shadows don't move."

"Shadows always move," Mal says. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for you. You need to get some food in you. I swear, the more we try to fatten you up the skinnier you get."

"High metabolism," she says almost gleefully.

**ABC's**

"Can you read?" River asks Jayne very seriously.

"Of course I can," he grunts, and goes back to cleaning his knives, eyeing her suspiciously as she watches him.

"I'm going to teach you your ABC's," she says brightly, breaking his uncomfortable, muttering silence. Ignoring his protests with a smile on her face, she pulls out an erasable board and marker from some magic hiding place. "A," she says, and the marker squeaks as she writes the letter wide and black. "A is for Apple."

Behind them the crew gathers, the fascination of River teaching Jayne his ABC's impossible to resist.


End file.
